Can anyone help?

[StressedOutTeacher]

Hi all.

Firstly, apologies if I've posted this in the wrong section.
I'm hoping someone out there can offer some words of comfort to me at this time. I'm a health anxiety suffered and even after a huge number of private cbt sessions, I struggle to control it.

I'm pregnant. Or at least I think I am. I did 6 tests 10 weeks ago and all were positive. Since then I've met with my gp and midwife.

I've had terrible morning sickness and other symptoms which point to pregnancy. The problem is that I don't believe I'm pregnant. I believe I've got ovarian cancer and that's what's causing all my symptoms. I stupidly googled my symptoms as I couldn't accept I could be pregnant and was presented a wealth of articles about how oc symptoms mimic pregnancy and real life stories of people who went for their scan expecting to see a baby and saw a tumor. Since then, my ha has spiralled.

Tomorrow is my 12 week scan and I am beside myself worrying that they will find cancer on it and not a baby. I can't sleep, can't eat and feel like I'm just waiting to be given a death sentence.

Has anybody experienced anything like this? Can anyone offer any words of wisdom or comfort?


Thanks In advance

[Fishmanpa]

Tests have shown you're pregnant so all I can say is I hope you find a way to put those thoughts out of your mind. Do you think perhaps it may have something to do with a conscious or subconscious feeling of not wanting to be pregnant? This should be a very happy time (despite the morning sickness) and you should already be planning for the new arrival.

I'll just say congratulations and leave it at that :)

Positive thoughts

[chickpea]

I really feel for you.
Pregnancy hormones are bad enough (I cried every day if my dinner didn't show up at 6pm on the dot!! My poor husband!), but combined with anxiety, they would make anyone feel like they were losing the plot.
Also, the early weeks of pregnancy, before the first scan are a bit surreal - you are growing a baby, but you don't really look different, you can't feel it moving, it's too early to start buying things, you probably haven't told many people...It's all still a bit of an abstract concept.

Please, please try to out the worry out of your mind. Your first scan of your first baby is such a special, never-to-be-repeated moment and as Fishmanpa says, should be a wonderful, enjoyable occasion.

[Carnation]

Please, please, please try not to Google. As a past Health Anxiety sufferer, I know how your Mind can fool you in to all sorts of thoughts about illnesses and dying.
The best thing you can do is whole-heartedly throw yourself in to the 'Pregnancy', with books, baby clothes, room preparation, regular breathing exercises and that way your Mind will be focused where it should be. (On having a Baby). Every time you are sick; it's the baby. Every time you feel a twinge; it's the baby. A bit of backache; it's the baby. Indigestion/Wind; it's the baby. Trust me, it works.
I can also understand your fear with the babies health. Every Mother will worry about this, so this is NORMAL! If you look after yourself, eat healthy and get plenty of rest, you will be fine. Congratulations, by the way.